Bill Sawyer Artist ( Tennessee 1936-2020)

Bill Sawyer ( Tennessee, 1936-2020) Tempera on Masonite. 18”x 24”. Girl in Pink Dress Flying a Kite.

Bill Sawyer was a self taught Nashville artist who started painting when stationed in France. His first exhibition was in Nashville in May of 1959 and he went on to have one-man shows at Daniel Orr’s Gallery in San Diego, the Little Gallery in Memphis, TN, and the Parthenon in Nashville. Joseph Patterson, then the president of the American Association of Museums, arranged for a show of Sawyer’s work at the Durlacher Brothers Gallery in New York in 1964. Sawyer was the first untrained artist to have a one-man show at the gallery, and his second show there, in 1966.

Carl Christian Brenner Kentucky Artist Cherokee Park Winter Scene

CARL BRENNER LANDSCAPE

CARL CHRISTIAN BRENNER (AMERICAN/KENTUCKY 1838-1888)

Oil on Canvas. Signed Lower left, Carl C. Brenner. Dated 1886. Canvas: 26 1/4”x 14”. Frame: 34” x 22”.

A Kentucky Winter Landscape, a scene showing two large beech trees in the foreground of a snow covered landscape, likely Cherokee Park, Louisville. Superb original untouched condition with original gilded frame. This painting is exceptional in person with a realist effect, the viewer is drawn in to the the woods.

Carl Christian Brenner was born in Lauterecken, Bavaria, Germany in 1838, he went to public school in Bavaria and studied with Philip Frolig in Germany before emigrating to the United States at age 15. He first settled in New Orleans where he worked with his father as a glazer. By 1854 he was in Louisville, Kentucky where he worked as a sign and ornamental painter as well as a house painter. Brenner became a full time landscape painter around 1878, his favorite subject matter where beech trees and scenes of Cherokee park in Louisville and the Cumberland Mountains. Combining a range of styles including Tonalism, Realism and Romanticism his paintings were highly prized and collected during his lifetime, today his works can be found in both private and public collections including Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum, Speed Art Museum, Morris Museum of Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art and The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, S.C.

Exhibited: Philadephia Exposition; National Academy of Desig, 1877-1886; Louisville Industrial Exposition, 1879; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, 1878, 1881-85.

Source: Who Was Who in American Art, Peter Falk.

Harvey Joiner (1852-1932) Cherokee Park, Louisville, Kentucky

We have added a classic Harvey Joiner Landscape oil painting of Cherokee Park, it is signed by Joiner and is in its original frame with name plaque.

 Harvey Joiner was born in Charleston, Indiana in 1852, he studied with David Hoffman in St. Louis and was active in Louisville from 1880 until his death in 1932. He was avery popular Louisvilleartist in his time and was well known for his Cherokee Park paintings.

This is a beautifully rendered work by the artist, note the wonderful reflections of the beech trees in the pond. Joiner used layers of glazes and contrasting light and dark colors to give his paintings that unmistakable “Joiner” style.

His works can be found in the following museums/collections:

The Filson Historical Society, Indiana State Museum, Kentucky Historical Society, Morris Museum of Art, The Johnston Collection and The Speed Art Museum. 

Original Sugar Chest Divider

Original Sugar Chest Divider. Note smaller lock indicating that the original lock has been replaced.

Cherry Sugar Chest

I have added this Classic Cherry Sugar Chest to my inventory, its dimensions and form ( a dovetailed box on base) are sought after by collectors. It has its original divider as well as bread boards and perimeter molding along its top, another feature which I like is the small molding which separates the box from the base.

Image of Sugar chest top showing bread boards (also know as battens) which help keep the single board top flat. Battens were attached with mortise and tenon joints the tenons would often prevent the top from shrinking over time and a crack would often develop on the top (a good sign of age and originality.) You can see in this image that a small strip of wood was added to the front behind the molding to make up for the cross grain shrinkage.

Base of cherry sugar chest showing perimeter molding, note how the top piece of wood above the drawer is dovetailed in to the top of the front leg.

KENTUCKY WALNUT SUGAR CHEST

 

Sugar Chests like this were used to safe keep (under lock and key) light and dark sugar, and were a status symbol of the wealthy.

This solid walnut Sugar Chest, with tulip poplar secondary wood, has a single board top with perimeter molding over flush a paneled post constructed box. It also has the less common feature of two dovetailed drawers side by side (as opposed to the more common single drawer) and ring turned, tapered legs. Single central divider inside.

ca. 1825-30. Tulip Poplar Secondary Wood.  H 28"  W 37"   D 18" Rectangular

Carl Brenner - Cherokee Park Landscape

Carl Christian Brenner was born in Lauterecken, Bavaria, Germany in 1838, he went to public school in Bavaria and studied with Philip Frolig in Germany before emigrating to the United States at age 15. He first settled in New Orleans where he worked with his father as a glazer. By 1854 he was in Louisville, Kentucky where he worked as a sign and ornamental painter as well as a house painter.

By 1878, Brenner was a full time landscape painter. His favorite subject matter where beech trees and scenes of Cherokee Park in Louisville and the Cumberland Mountains. Combining a range of styles including Tonalism, Realism and Romanticism his paintings were highly prized and collected during his lifetime.

Today his works can be found in both private and public collections including Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum, Speed Art Museum, Morris Museum of Art, The Corcoran Gallery of Art and The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, S.C.

Exhibited: Philadephia Exposition; National Academy of Desig, 1877-1886; Louisville Industrial Exposition, 1879; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, 1878, 1881-85.

Source: Who Was Who in American Art, Peter Falk.

Gilbert Gaul (American/Tennessee 1855-1919)

We were fortunate to discover and handle this  wonderful creek scene with ducks by well known Tennessee artist Gilbert Gaul. Although we do not know where it was painted, it could have been painted when he was living near Fall Creek Falls in Van Buren County, Tennessee on land he inherited from his maternal uncle, Hiram Gilbert. Hiram stipulated in his will that Gaul had to live on the land, so he built a long cabin and studio. Gaul split his time between Fall Creek Falls and New York City. He later taught at Cumberland Female College in McMinnville, Tennessee. He opened a studio in Nashville in 1905.

Cornelius Hankins

We recently acquired for the gallery a wonderful early Still Life of Apples by Cornelius Haly Hankins. Hankins is one of Middle Tennessee’s best know early 20th century landscape and still life painters. Born in Guntown, Mississippi, Hankins moved to Nashville in 1883 and studied under Edwin M. Gardner, soon afterwards he move to Eagleville, Tennessee to teach at Miss Clark’s Select School for girls. Hankins then moved to St. Louis to study with Robert Henri, then with William Merritt Chase in New York City. Between 1894 and 1899, he lived and worked in Richmond, Virginia. By 1904 he was back in Nashville, where he lived for the remainder of his life as a portrait, landscape and still life painter.  Hankins was a prolific painter in the 20th century producing many small oil’s on board. We're delighted to have this early example of his work, showing the strong influence of William Merritt Chase.